


Not an Angel

by Mjazilem



Series: Autistic Pyro [2]
Category: X-Men (Movies), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: AU, Abandonment, Ablist language, Autistic Character, Fire, Gen, Growing Up, Mutant Powers, Origin Story, Origins, Pyro - Freeform, autistic headcanon, autistic pyro, internal ableism, movieverse, talk of abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-31
Updated: 2015-09-15
Packaged: 2018-04-15 14:29:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4610217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mjazilem/pseuds/Mjazilem
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John Allerdyce's experiences attending Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. The second Part of my delve into Pyro's life Pt 1 here http://archiveofourown.org/works/3560084/chapters/7840883 It is not necessary to read Pt 1 but it might help.<br/>Chap 2 edited</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> You will recognize the snarky angry Pyro from the X-men movies in this fic!
> 
> I've just given a reason to some of Pyro's behaviors. That reason is autism. In this story Pyro is Autistic, this was inspired by movie verse Pyro portrayed by Aaron Stanford and by a number of fanfictions that I've read that give Pyro some very autistic traits.
> 
> Pyro in this is Autistic and has co-morbid conditions: PTSD and Social Anxiety. He has sensory sensitivities, auditory processing difficulties, he has had delayed speech, echolalia, he stims and flaps has meltdowns and shutdowns, social exhaustion and executive function problem.
> 
> This is an Autistic character by an Autistic author. I have drawn on my own experiences with autism and the experiences that others have shared with me to try and create a well round fleshed out character.
> 
> For this story even though the movie verse is technically like years ago the most up to date information on Autism is being used when it's discussed. 
> 
> when reading this story " " quotes means speech ' ' quotes means thought
> 
> Pyro can manipulate fire but not create it like in the movies
> 
> St John is pronounced "Sin Gin" not "Saint John"
> 
> John is 14 years old when this story starts

Oct 2000

“Welcome St John you're going to like it here.” Storm smiles at him. She hoped he will like it here. Only time would tell. 

He gets up from his chair in the Professor's office and she put an arm around his shoulder. He tenses and she squeezes him shoulder and lets him go. She wonders if he got much affection growing up. She thinks maybe thats what he needed to open up and be comfortable.

“Come with me, lets see if we can find you some things.” 

Storm escorts John to the storage room. It was where things that other students had grown out of and donated or that were left by previous students and instructors were kept. 

There was stuff in the room all the way back to the 70s when the Professor started the school. They could have saved some space by tossing the stuff but it had been useful over the years when they got new students who came with nothing.

“Lets see...” Storm looked around the room until she spotted a good place to start. “here's a trunk you can use.” 

She slid an old foot locker out from under a rack of clothes.

She opened it and found it had a couple dress shirts and a tan jacket in it. “Hey what do you know. There's some clothes for you. John scrunched up his nose they looked pretty old fashioned, like from the 70s, anyway they were probably too big. 

Storm shook her head at his expression. “You'll grow into them.” She put them back in the trunk. 

“Here's some t-shirts here.” She pulled some out of a drawer, there were a couple black and a dark blue and a red. “This will be good too.” She threw a long sleeved gray t-shirt in. 

John stood back as Ms. Monroe moved around the room looking in different drawers and boxes. “Here's some shorts and a pair of sweat pants you can sleep in or use for sports.” 

She pulled a small box off a shelf and held it as she dug through some smaller items. “Would you like a pair of sunglasses or a baseball hat?” She looked at him and he shook his head. “Here you might need these this winter.” She threw a pair of gloves and a knitted cap in the foot locker. 

She looked around once more and came to the conclusion that that was all they would find. She took some tape and a marker. “How do you spell your last name?”

“hum A L L E R D Y C E” He told her and she put it down on the footlocker. 

“We'll have this put in your room when they decide where and who you'll room with.” 

“Ok” John said still not as enthusiastic as most new students were at this point. 

“Don't worry about it,” Ororo tried to calm any anxiety he was having about the rooming situation, “Dr. Grey is figuring out the rooming assignment, I'm sure she'll find you someone nice to be roommates with.” 

lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll 

Bobby was walking to the dining hall with some of the other kids when Ms. Grey called him into her classroom. Bobby wasn't concerned, she often had notes for the student council meeting to give him. 

“I'll catch up with you guys, save me a seat.” Bobby calls after his friends before heading into the classroom. 

“I have a question to ask you about John the new boy.” Dr. Grey studies some papers on her desk. 

Bobby is suddenly nervous. He hadn't seen John since the tour that ended badly. That had been yesturday. 'what could she possibly want from him to do with John? Had something serious happened after the tour? Had John left? Bobby really didn't know anything.'

“Don't panic Bobby,” Jean chuckled. “Have you been watching Law and Order with Peter again? This isn't an interrogation. John has decided to stay and we were wondering if he could room with you.” 

“With me?” Bobby is surprised and doesn't know how that would work he already had two roommates. Mike and Steve were a grade above him and shared the bunk beds in their room. They were nice guys, a sound amplifier and static shock generator respectively. 

“I know you've been rooming with Mike and Steve.” Jean looks at the floor chart. “If you'd room with John I was thinking we could put the two of you in the room at the end of the hall. It's smaller then where you are now but it's closer to the bathroom and it would just be the two of you.”  
Bobby thought about it for a second, it didn't seem like a bad deal as long as John was cool. “no more snoring in stereo.” he quipped. 

“Well no probably not. So what do you think?” 

“Hum sure, I can do that.”

“Great I'll make the arrangements and get your key to you, you should be able to move in tomorrow.”

Bobby left the classroom and started back towards the dinning hall. 

“Hey Bobby.” someone called from behind him. Bobby turned to see Mr. Summers. “Hey Bobby I heard you agreed to room with John.” 

'Wow' Bobby thought 'he'd heard fast' Bobby realized it probably was because Dr. Grey was a telepath.

“Yeah I said I would.” 

“Well that was nice of you.” Scott put his hand on Bobby's shoulder. Scott had known Bobby for a couple of years now and he liked the kid but her thought he was maybe just too nice sometimes. He hoped that niceness didn't get him into trouble someday. 

“Look if you have any issues or trouble with him, let me know. Ok?” 

Bobby'd aways liked Mr. Summers. He wondered what kind of trouble Mr. Summers thought John would cause. 

“Anyway we really do appreciate it. I think the kid needs all the help he can get. You'll be a good influence, just watch out for yourself.”

Bobby nodded a bit stunned and Mr. Summers headed into Dr. Grey's classroom.

“What's up?” Kitty had come around the corner and seen Bobby and Mr. Summers talking.

“I don't know, I've got a new roommate and I don't know what to think about it.” Bobby worried as he and Kitty now walked together. 

“John decided to stay?”

“How did you know?” Bobby didn't know why he was shock, news obviously traveled fast at this school, plus Kitty was good at putting things together.

“Fire and ice, it makes sense that they'd want you to room together.”

“Yeah I suppose.” Bobby hadn't thought of it but the teachers may have. “Do you think he's going to be trouble?”

“He's different but it's too early to tell if that will mean trouble.”

“yeah, how ever it goes I think it's going to be interesting.”

“You're probably right.” 

lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll

“We can go into town this afternoon and get you some other things, school supplies, toiletries, some socks and... things.” She didn't want to say underwear out loud as they walked into the dinning hall. 

The room was buzzing with students, conversations, and glasses and forks clicking and clattering. 

John tried to be calm and just follow Storm in but he got distracted by a student putting floating their milk carton up and another swatting it out of the air as the kids at the table laughed. 

John was so distracted he walked into a chair. “Whoa, ok there John?” Storm turned to check on him and noticed the commotion. “Hey Laurence knock it off and clean that up.” Storm tells the students as another teacher heads in their direction. 

“This way” Storm directs John over to the kitchen to get something to eat. 

Jubilee sees him first. “Don't look now but your new roomie just came in with Storm.” She tells Bobby in a hushed voice that really wasn't that quiet and everyone at their table turned to look as John trips. 

“What is even his deal?” Jubilee was convinced John must be a mess. 

“Lay off Jubs.” Bobby rolls his eyes.

“You gonna get all defensive now cause you're the spaz's new babysitter?” 

“That's not it.” Bobby stabs at a tomato in his salad. 

Kitty adds diplomatically. “We don't know yet that he's gonna be a total spaz.”

“I'm not going to hold my breath.” Jubilee scoffs as she takes a drink of her water. 

Peter was all for new students, he liked meeting new people. “He's only been here a few days, I say we give him a chance.”

“You would, you haven't met him.” Jubilee pointed out. 

“And you have?” Peter came back. 

“uuuhh Yes! He and I got up close and personal you remember.” 

“There's a difference between talking to someone and running into them, Jubilee.” Bobby pointed out. 

“Yeah well Kitty met him and he was obnoxious.”

Kitty worried at her lip, she wasn't sure who to side with. “Well you've spent the most time with him Bobby what do you think?”

“I think he's hum... interesting... but I don't really know it wasn't like he said a whole lot. He likes comic books and writing I think.”

“and he's rude.” Jubilee added, not wanting that left out. 

Peter thought the whole thing was silly. “Well I think the Wolf Boy might liven things up around here, he definitely gets you worked up Jubilee.” 

“Yeah well, don't make me mad you want like me when I'm...” Jubilee starts and then shifted gears real fast. “Hi Ms. Monroe how are you?”

“I'm fine Jubilee, Hi guys. I was wondering if our new student John could sit with you guys.” Everyone nods and smiles and agrees. “Great, John you know Bobby and Kitty, this is Jubilee who I believe you met on your tour and Peter. Have a good lunch, I'll be back in a bit.” 

John takes a seat and starts eating his lunch with little attention paid to the other students at the table. 

Everyone looked to Bobby to take the lead. “So... John, you decided to stay that's good.” Bobby offers. 

John hitches an eyebrow at him and answers with his mouth half full. “I guess, beats were I was living before.”

“and where was that?” Jubilee asks with a forced smile. 

John doesn't really feel like playing twenty questions, he really didn't know if he wanted to talk about himself “hum around.” 

“Oh yeah, I bet that was just awful living 'around.'” Jubilee sarcastically says and Bobby glares at her. 

John stopped chewing and looked at her and looked at her face and tried to determine what she meant by what she'd said and the way she'd said it. 

“Wow, that bad uhh?” she teased him again. 

He narrowed his eyes at her, he had a feeling this girl that had yelled at him the other day was messing with him now. “Well it wasn't as nice as here, Princess.” 

Jubilee's face got red real fast. “oh yeah must have been awful all those dirt and fleas in the wolf den, having to fight for scraps with the rest of the mutts.” Jubilee told him and when he didn't have a come back but rather looked from her to the others at the table for an explanation Jubilee took it as her victory. She sat back and finished her water. 

John looked at them all quizzically but no one offered to explain what Jubilee was talking about so he went back to eating. 

“So...” Bobby started. “It looks like were going to be rooming together.” Bobby waited but John didn't say anything, he just kept eating. 

Bobby and Kitty looked at each other. “John?” Kitty asked. 

John looked up from his sandwich. “hum?” he made a questioning noise as he saw they were looking at him. “what?” 

Bobby blinked at him “We're going to be roommates.” 

John's eyes get wide and he coughs as he swallows too fast. “oh...” 

“Yeah Dr. Grey asked me a little earlier.” Bobby smiled and tried not to be too shy. “We move in tomorrow.”

John looked at Bobby, he always seemed to be talking which was kinda annoying, but he might be a good guy to have around, someone who knows everyone and who people seemed to like. “hum ok that's cool.” 

“Great.” Bobby nods trying not to be too awkward.

John grips the lighter in his pocket and tries to imagine what things were going to be like now. He'd never really liked change.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John starts school

John is sitting on his bed in his room with his things all around him. All the hand me downs that Ms Monroe had given him and new socks, underwear, a windbreaker.

There was a new toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, deodorant, notebooks, folders, pens 

new pair of sneakers sat in front of him, they were actual brand new Nikes, not knockoffs, not hand me downs, they fit him just right and were the most expensive thing he thinks he's maybe ever been given. He stared at them for a long while and made sure the laces were even the tongue was straight when he put them on. 

He sat on his bed with his things around him. It was more than he could carry so if he decided to leave he'd have to pick his favorites. 

No using fire without supervision for now until they could assess his abilities and control, for safety reasons. When Bobby showed up. Well Bobby and like four other guys. They all carried stuff. John just watched Bobby's stuff keep coming in. Book bag, trunk, lamps, books, pillows, lacrosse stick, hockey stick, gym bag. 

Bobby directed the guys where to put things and he thanked them. 

They said “Hey” to John and then went on their way. Then it was just him and Bobby.

“Hey man.” Bobby nodded at him. “Hey.” John acknowledged. 

John didn't know what to say to his new roommate. He wanted to say 'don't touch my stuff. Keep all your stuff on your side of the room. In the places I've lived before if someone touched something that wasn't theirs a black eye was fully justified.' 

“This is a good room. Two windows, across from the bathroom, my other room had three of us in it, it was bigger than this room but still...” 

John rolled his eyes at the state home he'd had a bed in a room with nine other boys and he bet the other two boys in Bobby's room hadn't had plans to beat him up like the boys he shared a room with at the Millers. 

Bobby continued “I like the set up...” 

There were two beds on opposite walls, bed stands next to them, then desks and two wardrobes on either side of the door. “I feel like there is so much space to put my stuff.” Bobby put his foot locker in the bottom of his wardrobe and started hanging his clothes. 

“Have you already got your stuff put away?”

John looked at all his things around him. Did Bobby think he had more? “Hum... Just about.” 

“Have you got a lamp?”

John looked up from folding his t-shirt. Bobby set his bed side lamp on the night stand.

“No.” John hadn't been given or thought to ask for a lamp. 

“Here you can use this one.” Bobby pulled a desk lamp out of a box and set it on John's night stand. 

“Thanks.” John was surprised.

“No problem I hardly use it anyway.”

“we're going to need to get some posters the walls are super bare. All the poster in my old room were Steve's, who's your favorite Band? I really like Dave Matthews Band.” 

John didn't know who his favorite was but he was pretty sure it wasn't Dave Matthews. He just shruggs. 

“I tend to go to sleep around eleven and I like to get up around six thirty, classes start at eight...”

“uuuggg” John remembered one of the worst things about school, getting up for it.

“I set my alarm clock for 6:20 and hit the snooze and get up ten minutes later. I like to go get breakfast and then get dressed and ready.”

“Ok” John didn't know exactly why Bobby was telling him all this. 

“Have you got a morning routine?” 

“uummm...” John didn't know. His routine before coming here had involved getting up, trying to avoid the cops and any crazy people, find a quiet place to hang out until his stomach growls became too much to take. That really wasn't a routine he wanted to share. 

He thought back to when he had gone to school, he had always been at the mercy of what everyone else was doing. He remembered that he always liked being able to eat before doing anything else when he was allowed. “Breakfast then getting dressed and brushing teeth.” John offered and Bobby seemed satisfied. 

“Ok cool, then you'll get into the swing of it. What class do you have first tomorrow?”

John looked at the schedule that had been printed out for him. “World History with Ms. Monroe.”

“Cool me too. It's a good class to have first thing sometimes Ms. Monroe brings donuts!” 

*** 

John put his things away. Clothes fit in the trunk he'd been give. And his stuff went in the desk drawers and his new shoes were placed under the bed where they were within arms reach. He sat on the bed now. It was a nice bed it seemed comfortable but it wasn't his favorite piece of furniture. 

John loved the desk. He'd never had a desk before. Not his own desk with drawers and everything. 

He put his pens and pencils in the long drawer and in the top side drawer he put the stuff he collected, buttons, links of chain, a marble, a smooth flat stone, a big paper clip, a tiny bulldog clip that he'd grabbed from his file in the infirmary. 

In the middle drawer he put his school supplies and the sheets of paper he'd been writing on since he'd gotten there. A lot of the writing was observational. Some of it was about a werewolf that didn't know it was a werewolf and didn't know why people were afraid of it. It was an idea that he'd been thinking about for months but had never had the things or the thought to write it down.

In the bottom drawer he emptied out some of the food he'd collected over the past couple days. 

The next morning came early. John felt like his head had just hit the pillow when Bobby's alarm clock went off. True to his word he hit the snooze and it went off again ten minutes later. “It's time.” Bobby said ominously as John pressed his back further into the wall and pulled the pillow over his head. 

He had a nervous feeling growing in the pit of his stomach. 

***  
The first day is overwhelming, from figuring out what to eat to navigating the classrooms. There were so many people, lessons, and new rules to figure out that it was making his head spin. 

John sat in class and found it hard to stay still and focus. He fidgeted through his classes tapping fingers and bouncing his knee. He doodled in the notebooks he was given and wrote little snippets of thoughts on the back pages. 

He even started tearing paper up into small pieces in his class after lunch.

He was used to doing a lot of walking and in the past few months before he'd been taken by the crazy church people he'd often moved when the church bells rang. He'd play with fire in the morning in whatever secluded spot he could find. Look for food after people's lunch breaks. Then determine where he would spend the night in the afternoon. 

Now he didn't know what to do and what was coming next. It made him uncomfortable and on edge. He had a class schedule but didn't have a good idea of what to expect. 

When he was asked to introduce himself in his first class and he started to feel his anxiety rise and stayed up the rest of the day. 

Ms. Monroe was nice about it, asking him to stand up and tell the other students about himself. He stood at his seat, his mouth got dry and his palms started to sweat. 

He managed to say “hum...My name's John. I'm new.” before collapsing back into his seat his heart pounding in his chest. 

He ran the intro over and over in his head he wished he'd said something cool instead of something so dumb but he just couldn't seem to get any more words out. 

His pulse was thudding so hard in his ears that he didn't hear some of the snicking coming from the back row. Storm shot a look at Jubilee 

The students through the day all wanted to know where he was from and what classes he was taking and did he play any sports and what's his mutation? 

He got the question over and over again, what was his mutation? What's his power? He hoped this was a first day thing because the interrogation was getting old. 

He made it through lunch and he powered through his next two classes but by the last class at the end of the day couldn't keep his eyes open. 

At the end of the class Dr. Grey called him up to her desk in the front of the class. “John I'm going to give you a pass today because it's your first day and you've been sick but there is no sleeping in class.” 

John nodded, his heart sunk at the admonishment. Maybe he just couldn't do this. 

He went back to his room and instead of doing homework or looking for Bobby and the other kids he curled up on the bed exhausted and fell asleep. 

Bobby came back to the room after diner. he'd been wondered where John had gone to after class. Now he knew. 

He found his new roommate in what Bobby would consider an seriously uncomfortable position to sleep in with his back pressed to the wall, school clothes and shoes still on, snoring and it was only seven thirty in the evening. 

Bobby grabbed the book he'd come to get and headed to the common room. He shook his head this new boy was definitely different.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I appreciate kudos and love comments. Hope you enjoyed!


End file.
